Walberg Battle Creek Health Care Town Hall MOVED to Marshall

by: Eclectablog

Tue Aug 25, 2009 at 10:13:50 AM EDT

As many of you already know, defeated former House Rep. Tim Walberg is hosting a series of health care town halls across MI-07. The one originally scheduled for Battle Creek on Wednesday has been relocated to Marshall. Below is an excerpt from my Daily Kos diary this morning which has details. Note the Walberg has another one tonight in Hillsdale.

Schauer staffer Fran Brennan described the first event held in Jackson, Michigan this way:

The Town Hall in Jackson was scripted. Only certain people could ask questions and the questions appeared to be selected, with people holding the question in their hands. One of the "questioners" was Kathy Potts, Executive Director of Right to Life, Jackson.

Schauer supporters across the district are planning to attend Walberg's next event tomorrow night to show support for Rep. Schauer and for comprehensive health care reform. The event, originally scheduled to be held at the Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, has been moved to Marshall after KCC officials cancelled the one on their campus citing security concerns.

KCC President Ed Haring said he made the decision to cancel the meeting Monday morning after consulting with his executive leadership team. The college's Board of Trustees was not involved, he said.

"We know that these kinds of community events around health care have been volatile at times, and we knew that some time ago," Haring said. "On top of that, we were led to believe that arrangements had been made with local law enforcement. We discovered they were not aware of (the forum)."

Construction on the campus also complicated security for the event, Haring said.

As is typical of Walberg's campaign, he is blaming the cancellation in Battle Creek on "politically motivated" Democrats on the KCC president's council board.

Sherry Swann, a volunteer for Walberg who reserved the Binda Performing Arts Center for Wednesday's meeting, said she had written a letter to the Battle Creek Police Department and was hoping to confirm the department's presence on Monday.

Swann said she felt the decision was politically motivated and made by "Democrats on the president's council board."

When asked in an interview with known Schauer critic Terry Jacoby of the Heritage Newspapers what his biggest obstacles would be getting back to Washington, D.C., Walberg had this to say:

Left-wing groups such as Moveon.org, the National Council of La Raza and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's DCCC spent millions in the last campaign. These far-left attack groups are willing to say anything to defend their big government allies like Mark Schauer, so these politicians can continue spending trillions we don't have, have the federal government takeover health care, and enact energy taxes that would further damage our economy and raise utility rates.

This is an odd statement from a man that received over $1 million from the Club For Growth in his successful 2006 race against Republican Joe Schwarz and who was heavily financed by them again in 2008. The 2008 election saw the two candidates spend a combined total of nearly $3.5 million, making it one of the most expensive House races that year.

I seriously doubt La Raza had anything to do with Walberg's defeat. Just sayin'...

Walberg supporters claim his town hall meetings are a response to Rep. Schauer decision NOT to hold them. This is an absurd claim considering that Schauer held several in July. Additionally, according to Schauer, he is "spending time talking to individuals and small groups about their concerns over proposed reforms to the nation's health care system." (Examples here, here, and here).

At a Washtenaw County Democratic Party event that I attended on Sunday, Schauer confirmed that he has been speaking with and listening to his constituents one-on-one and in small groups all during the summer recess. He also sent phone messages to nearly 10,000 constituents a couple of weeks ago, inviting them to participate in a tele-town hall. Schauer told us that he went to Washington with a solid goal of reforming the nation's health care system and was dedicated to the passage of a bill for the president to sign. "One with a strong public option," he added.

Besides the fact that is a complete LIE that Schauer hasn't held any public health care events, I find it absolutely absurd and hypocritical for anti-health care reform protesters to completely disrupt town hall meetings held by Democratic Congress members, shutting down all dialog and debate, and then to cry foul when elected officials quit doing them. Honestly, what's the point? But that's the nature of their political approach, I suppose, and not surprising. Hypocrisy, in the end, appears to define their rhetoric these days.

If you're in Michigan on Wednesday, August 26, please consider joining us to support health care reform at Mr. Walberg's meeting. It's time we turn the tables on them and let them know that we are no longer interested in the failed policies of has-been politicians like Walberg and that WE are in the majority. Our participation will be civil. It will be polite. But we WILL be there to be heard.

Tim Walberg Health Care Town Hall Meeting
B.E. Henry Community Building
615 S. Marshall Ave., Marshall, Michigan
7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

I will be reporting for the Huffington Post and will post a diary here at DKos with a recap of the meeting and with photos from my oh-so-talented wife.